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内心nèi xīnheart; innermost being

HSK 4word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

内心 (nèi xīn) means "heart" or "innermost being," the inner part of a person where true feelings and thoughts are kept. It is often used to talk about what someone really feels inside, even when they do not show it, as in 他的内心很难过 (he is very sad at heart).

What does 内心 mean?

  1. 1.

    heart; innermost beingnoun

What do the characters in 内心 mean?

  • 内inner
  • 心heart

How do you use 内心?

内心 can describe feelings someone keeps inside, often in contrast with what they show or say.

What are some examples of 内心 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 4

    她内心很高兴。

    Tā nèixīn hěn gāoxìng.

    She is very happy inside.

  2. HSK 4

    他的内心很难过，但是没有说。

    Tā de nèixīn hěn nánguò, dànshì méiyǒu shuō.

    He is very sad inside, but he hasn't said so.

  3. HSK 4

    我内心觉得他是对的。

    Wǒ nèixīn juéde tā shì duì de.

    Deep down I feel he is right.

How is 内心 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    小王今天怎么不说话？

    Xiǎo Wáng jīntiān zěnme bù shuōhuà?

    Why isn't Xiao Wang talking today?

  2. Speaker B:

    他的考试没考好，内心很难过。

    Tā de kǎoshì méi kǎo hǎo, nèixīn hěn nánguò.

    He didn't do well on his exam, and he's very sad inside.

  3. Speaker A:

    那我们晚上请他吃饭吧。

    Nà wǒmen wǎnshang qǐng tā chīfàn ba.

    Then let's take him out to dinner tonight.

  4. Speaker B:

    好主意，我去问问他。

    Hǎo zhǔyi, wǒ qù wènwen tā.

    Good idea, I'll go ask him.

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.